4 - Malcolm Thomas

San Diego St.

NBA Comparison:

Strengths: Long and athletic forward that has a lot of defensive potential ... Possesses a good physical profile ... Runs the floor well ... Has the lateral quickness to stay in front of ball-handlers ... Doesn't get beat off the dribble easily ... Excellent leaping ability ... Explosive player that gets off the ground very quickly ... Has great body control and finishing ability at the rim ... An easy target for lob passes and ally-oops ... Shows a good understanding of cutting to the rim without the ball and making himself available for the pass ... Hits the glass hard ... Averaged 8.1 rebounds per game in 2010-2011 ... Uses his long 7'0.5" wingspan and explosiveness to block a lot of shots (2.0) and disrupt the defense ... Always active on both ends of the court ... Unselfish player that knows his role ...

Weaknesses: A tweener ... Doesn't have the skills to play on the perimeter or the size to play in the post ... Needs to add strength ... Struggles when guarding bigger players in post-up situations ... Not a good shooter ... Easy player to defend due to his offensive limitations ... Limited range … Only made four three-pointers in his entire college career ... Not much of a ball-handler ... Needs others to create for him ...

Overall: Thomas is an interesting prospect but he won't be able to contribute in the NBA until he develops some kind of an offensive game ... If he were to develop a consistent three-point shot, Thomas could be a valuable player in a good team's rotation ... An organization in the late second round might be willing to take that chance ...